Garavar

Hello everyone, long timer "lurker" first time poster...

I am flying from MIA to MGA (Managua) in Business Class on Avianca/Taca next year in May. I have never flown Taca or Avianca therefore I had a few questions regarding the VIP lounges available for the airline.

First, I see on Avianca/Taca's website they have a VIP lounge available at MIA but on the legend for MIA it says "VIP Lounge of Another Operator." While other airports the legend says "Avianca/Taca's Own VIP Lounge" or "Star Alliance Lounge." Therefore, I was wondering whose lounge they are referring to and do I have access a business international passenger?

Also, if I do receive access where is it located?

Lastly, I usually fly Delta First/Business, so I am use to their lounges and cabin's. Could anyone tell me how Avianca/Taca's longues and cabins compares to Deltas?

Thanks everyone.

drvannostren

You'll get a domestic J product. Bigger seat, friendly professional service, nothing to really WOW you I wouldn't say, but I really like AV's product top to bottom even on very short haul service. My biggest beef with them is some of their front line staff but that's only from 1-2 experiences that went a bit awry.

If you check seatguru you can see what you're in for physically, should be a comfy ride, I assume you'll either be going MIA-MGA or MIA-SAL-MGA either way the aircrafts won't drastically change.

According to the star alliance Lounge finder you're lounge-less. I know Avianca used to operate a lounge in the J concourse, but that was way back when TAM was also part of Star Alliance (not sure if the two are related but that's where I remember seeing both logos together). There was a Club America used by a litany of airlines as well, but I don't think it applies anymore.

I know for a fact there's no Star Gold lounge, and no Avianca branded SALA VIP, Air Canada customers even in paid J also get no lounge access. Now Avianca has more flights than AC, but despite the map on the Avianca website, I think you're out of luck.

LH J customers get access to the Swiss/LH contract lounge in concourse J (there's glass doors in the middle of the hall) evidently called the VIP Lounge, 3rd floor at J5, but I'm almost positive there's no Avianca usage. Feel free to go up there and ask them. Sorry bud.

Garavar

Thanks, strange they would list lounge in Miami yet not have 1

colombia123

I have used the lounge near J5 flying in Avianca. You get a "ticket" at the check in counter and they let you in the lounge. I think it is a Lan lounge because the wifi said something about Lan, but I'm not 100% sure on that. But I did use the lounge with my LifeMiles Gold card, just ask for the ticket at the check-in counter.

Garavar

Update for future readers...

I checked in with my Avianca/Taca ticket and was giving a VIP Lounge Ticket. The Lounge at MIA was between J3 and J5.

It had Beer, Liquor and Wine, Free Wifi and some finger foods.

With that being said I have a new Avianca/Taca question...When we checked in the desk attendant put an Orange sticker on our bag. Does anyone have any idea what the orange sticker signifies?

drvannostren

Your not talking about the big Priority tag I hope.

As far as the sticker goes, lots of airports use those are identifiers, not sure how well they work, but it's just a "yes this has been approved" kinda thing I think.

I think HKG puts on a big sticker and it's shiny and looks like it could be electronically identified, says HKIA on it. An airport in Russia sticks something on it, I don't know if it's SVO or DME but it's clearly in Cyrillic and mentions something about Russia.

Working at YVR I know we DIDN'T have anything like that, but lots do, either on your bag or as I've found, on your passport, I've twice had stickers put on the back of my passport when travelling from south America to US and it was simply a verification of having gone through the extra questioning before check-in.

On the lounge topic, the VIP Lounge Ticket...was that a LAN lounge like someone else had suggested? Or is it a third party contract lounge? I was bummed as a * Gold to have no lounge, AC J doesn't get one either AFAIK but at least AV J does.

Garavar

No, it was a small square sticker...

It was a lounge that had multiple airlines. TAM was the only 1 I could specifically remember. There were people with black and gold priority pass cards that were getting turned away because it was restricted to these cards after 3 pm.

JohnnyColombia

Sounds like you were in what has previously been called the LATAM lounge, but when I went there, travelling in LAN J, I was surprised by the complete lack of branding, looked like a 3rd party lounge to me. Nice to know AV has lounge use at least

Garavar

My next mission is to find out if there is a VIP Lounge in Managua Nicaragua. Avianca/Taca doesnt list one on their website but they have been wrong in the past. Heck they dont even know where New York is....

JohnnyColombia

That map is hilarious

They also don't know where Madrid, Aruba, Curação, Buenos Aires or Miami are. And looks like someone picked the wrong Washington

drvannostren

Haha, I'd never really looked before, at least Madrid and Miami are in the right ballpark, New York isn't even in the right country and Washington is on the wrong side of the continent.

I thought I had seen them mention Managua somewhere, can't seem to remember where though. If I think of it I'll post it.

AlexMC

Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are half of their way to Europe...

Diabeetus

An update for Star Alliance Gold members.

The VIP lounge at MIA for Avianca allows *G entry.

daggerga

On US domestic itineraries? Or just Intl?

gkbiiii

I would like to know this too.